Games industry job resource quant, Amir Satvat, has created the most accurate geographic mapping of open video game jobs to date, with a list of 14,162 jobs currently available in the industry worldwide. Satvat, who is also the director of business development at Tencent, spent over two years developing this comprehensive mapping of game job roles. The initial version of his Games Jobs Workbook listed only 400 jobs, but the current version, the 14th iteration, utilizes a new method that Satvat claims is 95% to 99% accurate. The data is generated semi-automatically, with a verification process to ensure accuracy and location data for each individual job.
The availability of such detailed information on job openings in the game industry is a significant development for job seekers. It enables them to make informed decisions about where to focus their job search and potentially relocate to cities with a higher concentration of open positions. Previously, there was a lack of real-time and consistent global data on game industry job openings. While resources like the Game Dev Map provided information on game studios’ locations, they did not provide data on job openings or current employment.
Satvat’s approach, focusing on job openings rather than total jobs, proves to be more valuable for job seekers. Despite the shift towards remote work due to the pandemic, Satvat has been able to identify which listings are advertised as remote jobs. The return to on-premise work is also evident in the data.
This accomplishment by Satvat builds on his previous work in forecasting job trends in the game industry. He predicts that in September 2024, the number of job openings will surpass the number of job layoffs in the industry. While initially estimating over 4,400 job cuts in the second half of 2024, he now believes the number will be around 2,000 to 3,000. Satvat has also calculated the odds of finding game jobs for fresh graduates (1%) versus veterans (27%) over the course of a year, providing motivation for job seekers to persist in their search.
Satvat’s mapping of game job roles stands out from other industry mappings due to its comprehensive coverage of underlying roles and live hiring data. Other mappings often focus on the number of companies in each area rather than individual job openings. Satvat is currently updating the Games Jobs Workbook to ensure its accuracy and reflects the most current data.
According to Satvat’s data, the majority of game jobs are located in Asia, Europe, and North America, with these three regions accounting for 84% of the jobs. The United States, China, England, Japan, and Poland are the countries with the most game jobs, making up over half (51%) of the total jobs. In North America, California, Quebec, Washington State, British Columbia, and North Carolina have the highest concentration of game jobs.
California alone holds 48% of the game jobs in the United States, which aligns with the findings of the Entertainment Software Association’s survey. The ten cities with the most game jobs globally are Shenzhen, Shanghai, Montreal, Tokyo, London, Warsaw, Vancouver, Bangalore, Istanbul, and Barcelona, comprising 28% of the worldwide game jobs.
To show appreciation for the support he received throughout the two-year journey of creating this mapping, Satvat has decided to share the raw results with the gaming community. This achievement marks a significant milestone in providing transparency and valuable information to game industry job seekers.